The heads of Royal College and S. Thomas’ College announced at a press conference yesterday that the two schools have agreed to share the Mustangs Trophy which was originally awarded to the Thomians at the conclusion of last week’s Limited Overs Big match, admitting there was a fault associated with the calculation of the revised target.

The last week’s Limited Overs Big Match ended in a fiasco due to uncertainty associated with the calculation of the target, arrived under the Duckworth-Lewis system. A mistake in D/L calculating presented Royal batsmen with a bigger target in the specified overs than that which was subsequently computed to be the actual one.

The two heads of the schools said that the joint organizing committee will take steps to prevent such things happen in the future.

S. Thomas’ College Warden Professor Indra De Soysa admitted that the actual target which would have been roughly eight runs an over would have been difficult, but not an entirely unachievable task and the game could have gone either way.
"The fault associated with the mistake in calculation in no way lies with the schools, but with an independent official from the Sri Lanka Cricket who was tasked with the calculation. Given the facts, the officials associated with Thomian cricket together with the players feel that the Royal team has not deserved the loss handed to them because of a faulty technicality," said De Soysa.

Royal College Principal Upali Gunasekera said that the entire Royal fraternity would be unanimous in deeply appreciating this gesture of the Thomians, which has been taken in the true spirit of sportsmanship.

The Principal of Royal College and Warden of S Thomas’ College declared that they have decided to share the Mustangs Trophy, which was awarded to S Thomas’ College originally.

The decision was taken because both schools accepted that there is a miscalculation of the revised target.

Their limited overs match ended in a controversy, which was involved with the calculation of the target under the Duckworth Lewis (D/L) method.

The miscalculation made a huge target in the specified overs for Royal batsmen but the correct target was roughly eight runs an over, which is not entirely an unachievable task.

The Principal of the Royal College, Upali Gunasekara mentioned that they appreciate the decision of the Warden of S Thomas’ College and entire Thomian fraternity, which had been taken for the sake of sports.

The Warden of S Thomas’ College Prof Indra de Soysa, told that “ The fault associated with the mistake in calculation in no way lies with the schools but with an independent official from the Sri Lanka Cricket Board who was tasked with the calculation.

Given these facts, officials associated with Thomian cricket together with the players feel that the Royal team has not deserved the loss handed to them because of a faulty technicality”.

The heads of both schools said that a joint organizing committee will be formed in the future and it will take the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of a such mistake in the future.

Please permit me to share this mail with you, which includes two Communiques issued by the Warden of S. Thomas College, Prof Indra de Soysa and Principal of Royal College, Mr Upali Gunasekera.

This is based on the recently concluded Royal Thomian 50 Over cricket match, that saw STC being awarded the Mustangs Trophy , due to Royal being unable to achieve an impossible task of scoring 126 runs in 6 overs when play resumed after a rain interruption as per the Duckworth Lewis rules, which has been erroneously computed by a Sri Lanka cricket official.

The final gesture by the Warden of STC, which was graciously accepted by Royal College, is an example to the whole of Sri Lanka, on values and principles that we must hold and the need to amicably settle any issue , when such is rarely seen in our beloved Nation .